Birdwell High

Summary: Emily Elizabeth and Jetta became best friends over the years, but they didn't start out that way. In fact, because of Jetta's relentless bullying, they ended up becoming enemies. Jetta turned on Emily Elizabeth in middle school, and high school changed nothing. In fact, things have reached a climax now that Emily Elizabeth has missed the first day of school to deal with a death in the family. When the student body sides with her and turns against Jetta, something must be done to keep the situation from becoming more volatile. Can they reconcile their differences? Warning, major character death. Rated K+ due to some adult language/content.

Chapter 1

**Warning, character death**

Emily Elizabeth looked up as a football sailed overhead and flew across the long sidewalk between the road and the school. She had no idea who threw it or who caught it, but she was worried about other things. It was the second day of school and she was nervous, namely because this was really her first day of school for the year. She couldn't be there on the first day because of Clifford, her big red dog that everyone knew and loved. He'd been sick for a long time, but when Emily Elizabeth went to check on him that morning, and to show him her new outfit for school, he'd barely looked at her.

I think it's time, Mom and Dad. He just…he's lost his spark.

The vet came out and did his duty, allowing Clifford to cross the Rainbow Bridge. They'd been nice enough to invite Sheriff Lewis and Ms. Diller so that T-Bone and Cleo could be there with their friend, but Emily Elizabeth didn't invite Jetta's dog to join them. The stuck-up show dog belonged to Emily Elizabeth's sworn enemy, a girl who now came bounding up the sidewalk towards Emily Elizabeth.

"You are aware, aren't you, that today is the SECOND day of school, not the first…which was YESTERDAY, not today…?" Jetta scolded.

"You are aware that you aren't the truancy police nor the principal, right?" Charley called, running up to fall in step with Emily Elizabeth. The two had been best friends for as long as they could remember, and both had become enemies of Jetta in the process. As soon as she saw him, she scoffed and shook her head:

"You aren't some knight in shining armor, you know? She's probably in huge trouble with the principal for just not showing up the first day. I mean, who does that? Are you too poor to afford the date?" Jetta asked before laughing at her own joke and returning to the school.

"Don't listen to her, Emily Elizabeth. She's a goody-two-shoes with no real life. If it weren't for her dog and the money he made for her family, she'd be nothing, remember? Nothing!" he emphasized as they entered the school.

"She used to be so much nicer. I could've told her what happened and she'd hug me and tell me it'll be okay. Now she'll probably laugh in my face and tell the whole school I killed him, which I didn't. You know that, don't you?" Emily Elizabeth cried, leading Charley towards the front office, where she signed in and received a copy of her schedule and a locker while he waited nearby. As soon as she was done, he returned to her side:

"Look, you didn't kill him, if that's what you're worried about, and if you're worried about people thinking you killed him, this is a pet-friendly island! There aren't many of us here, but everyone has something they're into, and they've all had to make that hard choice. You were good to him, a true friend. You even got his dog friends there. Not many people would even consider doing that, but you did, and it turned out well. When you finally got your call in to me, I knew you'd done the right thing. I was so proud of you," Charley said firmly, walking with her to her locker.

"You're a good friend, Charley. Do we have any classes together?" she asked.

Birdwell High was a decent size, namely because a few of the coastal towns allowed their children to ride the ferry over each morning to attend the school. Because of that, the class numbers were much larger than what you'd expect for an island. In fact, the population of the school was almost double the population of the island, a number Emily Elizabeth's neighbor complained about despite her being the only kid he actually knew that was school-aged. The only time Emily Elizabeth complained was moments like these, when she had all the same classes as Charley but at different times.

Emily Elizabeth sighed, "We're going to have different lunches. You have PE, and they get third lunch, but math gets second. I guess I'll see you in the halls or after school."

"Well, actually, if you want to see me after school, you'll have to hit up the bait shop. I got a job there because Dad needed someone to run the place. It's important, but I'm sure you could drop by if you want," Charley said, looking up as the bell chimed overhead. They waved to each other before being pushed through the crowd.

Emily Elizabeth ended up in a homeroom at the back of the building overlooking the pier. She looked out and saw the next ferry lining up. A few teens burst through the line and rushed towards the school. She shook her head and looked forward, shocked to see Jetta there. She was also surprised to see Jetta talking to the teacher and pointing with her thumb behind her towards Emily Elizabeth.

The teacher sighed so heavily that Emily Elizabeth watched her frame take in the breath and force it out, "Jetta, believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around you. Take your seat."

"But Miss Pitman—"

"Now!" she commanded, returning Jetta to her seat with a simple glare.

"This isn't over," Jetta hissed, collapsing into her seat as one of the late teenagers barged into the room and took the seat between Emily Elizabeth and Jetta, which Emily Elizabeth didn't mind. She didn't want to be in the same room as her, let alone in the same row.

When the tardy bell chimed, Miss Pittman closed the door and turned to her class, "Welcome back."

"For some of us…," Jetta muttered under her breath, turning so Emily Elizabeth could hear.

Emily Elizabeth noticed, but Miss Pittman did not and continued, "In a moment, the morning announcements will come on. I just wanted to remind everyone of the ice breaker assignment on the board. You'll do those in your notebook, the one I asked you to bring yesterday. It's alright if you still don't have it. I won't begin counting off for loose pages until next week."

Jetta scoffed, a sound Emily Elizabeth could hear over her binder and the rustling of other students. Soon everyone was quietly working on their assignments as the announcements droned on overhead—there was going to be a back to school bake sale at lunch to raise money for uniforms, the girls' volleyball team had a fundraiser, and there was some game thing that evening for something. It washed over Emily Elizabeth, not sticking, as she worked on the assignment. All she could think about was the day before and losing her friend, but she soon became aware that Jetta was narrating her work.

Instead of doing her assignment, she was writing a letter. More and more students stopped writing to listen to her, but the speaker over the teacher's desk kept Miss Pittman from hearing until it stopped, and then she stood quickly.

"Enough!"

Emily Elizabeth shrank in her seat as Jetta was pulled to the front of the room, and finally outside. The student's closest to the door could hear the verbal barrage outside, but inside, students were turning to Emily Elizabeth. Jetta had only used her name half a dozen times as she narrated the letter about what a danger to society she was for disappearing whenever she wanted.

"What's her deal?" the late teen whispered. Emily Elizabeth shrugged as one of the students nearby shifted. The late teen turned to them, "What's up?"

"I know why she wasn't here, and Jetta is a total bitch for acting like this. Don't worry about, E, okay?" the girl said, adding, "We'll keep an eye on her and make her life miserable if no one stops her, alright?"

Emily Elizabeth nodded, unable to speak. The late teen and the girl were both from the coastal towns, but they were treating her like one of their own. Emily Elizabeth was a sophomore, so she understood there was an odd balance between real locals and these townies, as they were called, and usually the two never mixed. To have them know what happened and still stick up for her was a relief, but she wondered how much power they had. Jetta was the child of rich parents, and her clout went all the way through the island. This definitely wasn't over, whether Emily Elizabeth had allies or not.